Black-owned Travel Agency Wants Tourists to ‘Embrace’ Africa

Africa is more than just the deserted plains and starving children we see on commercials here in America.

It’s downright heavenly, and one Black travel agency has been committed to getting tourists to “embrace” Africa for more than six decades.

And it has absolutely no plans of slowing down.

Henderson Travel Service, in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the country’s oldest full-service African-American-owned travel agency. Its president, 70-year-old Gaynelle Henderson, was planning to downsize the global agency founded by her dad, Freddye Henderson, but the demand for its existence wouldn’t allow her to. The phone literally kept ringing.

“I was trying to slow down this year,” Henderson told NBC News. “My plan was to move the company to a home-based business, but more calls continued to come in from clients who wanted to travel to Ghana, Senegal and South Africa. We’re still getting calls. I can’t say no.”

In fact, Henderson is busy this week arranging adventure and cultural packages and trips to Africa.

Since 1955, Henderson Travel Service has sent thousands to Africa. Henderson has been the president of the company since 1984 and is continuing a storied legacy.

And in many countries throughout Africa, Henderson’s name remains synonymous with excellence.